Update: Murder Hearing Delayed

Melisa Bates, the woman facing a 1st Degree Murder in the killing of her uncle, St. Maries resident Robert Marek, will undergo a mental health evaluation.According to the criminal complaint, Bates, who is Marek’s niece, is suspected of killing him on May 15. The complaint alleges she shot her uncle with a handgun, hit him with a metal rod and then set his body on fire.Dental records had to be used to identify Marek’s remains/ Rob Kauder , KXLY. More here. (St. Maries Gazette-Record photo, of crime scene)